LEWISTON — A tractor-trailer ripped down power lines on Canal Street on Friday, bringing down a pole, starting a fire and electrifying a guardrail.

The driver of the Country Kitchen truck was forced to stay in his truck while fire and power crews managed the situation. A woman driving a car in the area was also trapped, although fire crews were able to remove her from the vehicle 15 minutes after the pole came down, narrowly missing her sedan and stretching a line across her hood.

By 7 p.m., Central Maine Power gave the all clear for the truck driver to step out. Power was restored to most areas by 9 p.m., although parts of Lisbon Street were still dark by 10 p.m. and a section of Canal Street remained closed to traffic.

Businesses went dark and traffic lights went out across the downtown when the utility pole came down at about 6 p.m. near the intersection of Canal and Cedar streets.

No one was hurt, but the truck driver was advised to stay in the rig and pedestrians were kept back from the area.

When the pole came down across Cedar Street, smoke began to rise from the area almost immediately as grass caught fire. Witnesses reported hearing a ripping sound and a crunch when the trailer first snagged the lines.

Traffic lights went out in several areas, including Canal Street, Lisbon Street and intersections along Bates and Pine streets. The outage caused confusion as drivers made their way through the downtown at the end of the commuter hour.

Honking horns and raised voices could be heard in several areas as traffic snarled at various intersections.

Power went out at several locations, including the Lewiston Police Department and DaVinci’s Eatery.

Fire crews were managing the scene while waiting for Central Maine Power workers to arrive. Police blocked both vehicle and foot traffic in the area, including the dozens who walked down the alleys between Canal and Lisbon streets to witness the action.

Around the same time as the crash on Canal Street, a transformer was reported sparking on Pierce Street. It was unknown whether the two incidents were related.

No further information was available about the driver of the tractor-trailer.

A lineman from Central Maine Power works on a utility pole, background, after a tractor-trailer pulled down wires and poles at the corner of Cedar and Canal streets in Lewiston early Friday evening, cutting power to most of the downtown. (Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal)

A lineman from Central Maine Power works on a utility pole, background, after a tractor-trailer pulled down wires and poles at the corner of Cedar and Canal streets in Lewiston early Friday evening, cutting power to most of the downtown. (Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal)

A woman was trapped in her vehicle for about 20 minutes until power was turned off after a tractor-trailer, left, pulled down wires and utility poles at the corner of Cedar and Canal streets in Lewiston early Friday evening.(Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal)